


Parental (Dis)approval

by FixOrRideDaily



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Abusive Parents, Fist Fights, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Implied/Referenced Sex, It's a pretty simple story, Making Out, Mostly talking, Other, Protective Parents, Trans Chris (Until Dawn), not much happens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-09
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-24 08:22:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15626658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FixOrRideDaily/pseuds/FixOrRideDaily
Summary: Meeting your girlfriend's father never goes well...





	Parental (Dis)approval

**Author's Note:**

> So I don't normally write one-shots like this but I had an itch to so I did.

“Fuck! Stop! That hurts!”

Ashley rolls her eyes at his whining but her face still softens. She sighs as she moves closer. She brushes his hair away from his eyes. He’s a mess and his faux-hawk had not survived the beat-down he’d received. Ignoring his complaining, she presses her rag to his face yet again before she removes it to actually bandage his cut.

“Of course it hurts, dipstick,” she says with a bit of a smile, “It's an open wound.”

Chris fights his urge to pull away, her hands are shaking slightly, her face is pale and she keeps zoning out. When she talks the words come out fast. She very clearly hasn’t fully processed what happened. So maybe she isn’t the best person to do this. Both Mrs. Giddings and Sam had offered to take care of his injuries but Ashley insisted she be the one to do it. He guesses she must be trying to distract herself from her bad thoughts but he hopes it’s at least in part due to affection for him.

“Do you understand how stupid that was?” she chastises for what must be the fifth or sixth time.

“I didn't want him to hurt you” is all he says in response. He knows it was stupid and he knows his mother is probably going to chew him out something fierce when she sees him. He doesn't care as much as he should though because Ashley is okay and that's all that matters to Chris.

She doesn't say anything as she continues to take care his face. He has a few dark bruises forming on his cheeks and one large open gash across his forehead from where the older man had slammed his head into a table. His glasses were busted though not broken. He’s due for new ones anyway.

It really had been stupid.

* * *

Sam had been honored at the local charity for her contributions as the volunteer of the summer. It wasn't a big deal or anything too glamorous but she did get a certificate. Mrs. Giddings was proud of her nonetheless. The woman also found basically any excuse to entertain guests so it was a two birds, one stone sort of deal when she invited them over for a barbeque to celebrate. Sam was embarrassed but also clearly grateful. Teasing her was what prompted all her friends (or at least Chris) to come.

“Excuse me, miss” he said, coming up right behind Ashley after ribbing Sam for the obligated amount of time, “I’m going to have to ask you to return that.”

“Return what?” Ashley had asked suspiciously, fully aware he was about to say something silly and/or cheesy.

“The heart you just stole from me,” he said clutching his chest.

She giggled, “And why should I do that? It seems only fair I keep it after you went and took my breath away.”

Chris made an embarrassing giggling noise as well. He felt his ears heating up. They smiled widely at each other. They must have looked like idiots, just standing there staring with goofy looks at their faces. It was hard to know what else to say or do though. It was all still so new. They hadn’t had time to fully work through it. Both of them were too embarrassed to address what had happened between them.

“Is your mom around?” he asked looking for her in the small crowd gathered in Sam’s backyard. Mrs. Giddings and Miss Brown were good friends. It was part of how Sam and Ashley ended up spending enough time together to grow close as Ashley was not very good friends with Hannah or Beth. So (unfortunately) she had been invited along with her daughter.

Chris liked Ashley's mom but he wasn't sure she liked him. Most especially now that he and Ashley were actually dating. Or rather he assumed they were dating. The two of them had not talked much about **it.** It being the incident almost two weeks ago where things between them had finally come to a head and they “made love” on his bedroom floor. Or well, more accurately it would be better to describe what they had done as “fuck like animals in heat.”

Chris felt confident that Mrs. Brown would kill him if she ever found out what he did with Ashley. He had his doubts the older woman would approve of them having sex at all let alone the fact that it hadn't exactly been the romantic affair he’d always assumed it would be. She didn't go overboard with it but Ashley’s mom was a bit too overprotective of her only daughter.

“She went inside to help Percy get the meat from the cooler,” Ashley said stepping closer to him, “You know she hates the idea of just being around anything that came from something that used to be living, forget about touching it.”

Chris’ blood rushed through his body as he took the way she gazed up at him as an invitation. He quickly pressed his lips to hers before her mother could see and make it awkward. He held it as long as he felt he could appropriately get away while they were in public. He stayed close for a short moment before he sneaked in one more quick peck. He pulled away slowly, unwilling to let this end.

Chris knew something must be wrong instantly after he did. He couldn't be that bad of a kisser. She made a dreamy face for a millisecond then looked to the side shyly. However as soon as she did the color drained from her skin. Her body went totally straight and she began to shiver. Her eyes were wide and darkened with what looked like horror. She was staring at something to the side of him as if he wasn't even standing there. She backed up until her back hit the fence.

Chris reached for her weakly. He didn't know if Ashley wanted to be touched. She usually liked it when she was scared if he held her in his arms. He had never seen her act like this though so it felt wrong. Instead he turned to see what she was fixated on. Chris scanned the crowd for only a second before he saw the man making his way across the yard in their direction with his eyes trained on Ashley.

Chris didn't need to ask her first. He knew exactly who he was immediately. Only one person could have an effect like that on Ashley. Chris had heard enough stories about him. One look at him told Chris that he had one goal and it was to get to her. He wasn't going to let that happen. Not on his life.

Gritting his teeth, Chris turned on heel and marched towards the older man with equal purpose in his stride. He had to be in his late to mid thirties with strawberry-blonde hair and blue eyes. He was a big guy too. Not as big as Chris but easily just as tall. His face was square with a set but still rounded chin and jaw. Ashley kept one picture of him, the why of which she had never explained to any of them. Although he wouldn't have even needed to ever have seen it to know that this man was Ashley's father.

He apparently didn't realized that Chris was walking to him until he stopped directly in his path. Though the man paid him no mind. He simply stepped to the side of him with his eyes beyond his body and still focused on Ashley. He muttered a polite, “excuse me” as he did. Chris twisted his body and stepped back in his way. He must have thought Chris simply made a mistake as he muttered another “excuse me” glancing briefly at the younger guy before taking a wide step to the other side of him. Chris followed suit, once more blocking him from Ashley and he hoped he was also blocking the man from her sight as he did so.

It was only then that the man looked at him. He looked confused but Chris could see a rage burning behind his eyes. His mouth set into a thin line as if he was trying to avoid scowling at him before, trying to sound polite again, he asked, “Can I help you?”

“Yes,” Chris answered, also trying to keep his anger in check, “You can leave.”

“Excuse me?” he said a third time though this time as an angry question with warning behind it.

“You heard me. Leave.” Chris felt his hands curl into fists at his sides.

The man made yet another move to walk around Chris. “Not until I see my daughter.”

“She doesn't want to see you!”

“Oh yeah?” There was bite in his words. “How do you know? Last I checked Ashley can speak for herself.”

“She doesn't want to speak to you either!”

The man crossed his arms and finally that venom Ashley always told him her father emanated shown through. Gone was his polite facade, replaced with a pulsing fury. He stepped into Chris’ personal space. “Who exactly do you think _you_ are, kid?!”

“Someone who was actually invited!”

“Move!”

“No! You're not going anywhere near her!”

The older man looked Chris up and down a couple of times. It looked like he had put two and two together and he rolled his eyes dramatically. “Look, you're crazy if you think I’m gonna be bossed around by my daughter's boyfriend! Now move!”

He tried to step around Chris one last time and was blocked once again. The longer he stayed the more angry Chris became. Ashley had told him her mother had gotten a restraining order against this guy. Yet he tracked them down and showed up there unannounced anyway. Who the fuck did this asshole think _he_ was?

“Leave!” Chris shouted it this time, “I’m not telling you again.”

Ashley's father must have snapped after that, as he shoved Chris hard trying to knock him out of his way saying, “Listen, you ugly fucker, I came here to see my daughter and some punk ass kid isn't gonna stop me.”

He refused to listen and kept pushing to see Ashley so Chris did the most logical thing he could think of in that moment. He cracked him right in the jaw. Hard.

The punch had been with his non-dominant hand so both of them stumbled after which was bad news for Chris. This man had clearly been in his fair share of fights as he wasted no time hitting him back. One uppercut knocked Chris away and the other man was on him quick. He suffered about three more hits to the face and each forced him backwards by another step. He didn't have the time or skill to stop the onslaught. The man grabbed hold of his head and soon Chris felt it bang into something hard, splitting his forehead open. He lost his glasses a moment after. He was disoriented and dizzy as he struggled back onto his feet.

“Oh my God, Chris!”

Love is a powerful force because his head cleared only seconds after he heard Ashley call out to him. He swung wildly, remembering why this was important and why he was doing it. For her. After two swings his fists collided with something solid so he kept swinging blindly, gaining the upper hand from the sounds of it. The man grunted in pain and Chris felt him trying to shove Chris off of him but was powerless against the messy frenzy he’d broken into.

“Yeah, kick his ass, broseph!” Josh yelled from somewhere. He only saw the man in front of him that had tormented Ashley and her mother for most of her childhood. Nothing else mattered but getting him out of there.

It happened just as suddenly as it started. The older man fell back and kept stepping back away from him. Eventually he broke out into a full on run. Chris chased him across the entire yard even though there was not need to. He was already leaving. Still Chris followed until he ran out the back gate and onto the street. The gate slamming shut in front of him was what stopped him from continuing his pursuit.

“Yeah, run away, you piece of shit!” he yelled over top the fence, “And don't fucking come back!”

Chris flipped around to lean against the gate, his vision blurry, facing the party and the guests. He took a few deep breaths to regain his composure. Sam ran over to him to examine his wounds as best as she could. Ashley was in the same place he had left her with her mother holding her close by her biceps in a tight hug. They looked petrified. He couldn't believe he had really scared that maniac off. His pride didn't last long though as he hadn’t been what made him run away. No, it was more likely the cop car pulling into the driveway that had spooked him. Someone had logically called the police.

Whatever, he was gone. Ashley was safe. He didn’t care about anything else.

* * *

“He could have really hurt you,” Ashley says with her hands braced on either side of his head to turn it and check his face. Once done she turns it so that he’s facing her. It hurts as her hands press against his swelling face. It's hard to care when she is touching him and staring up at him with so much care.

“Well, this,” He waves his hand in front of his jacked up face, “Doesn't exactly tickle.”

“I mean it! I saw him break someone's arm once!”

He wonders if by someone what she actually means her mother. He wouldn't put something like that passed a monster! He forces a smile to hide his anger at the thought of it before he shrugs and assures her wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, “Pssh, I’m a _big_ boy. Remember, Ash? And I can handle myself.”

She sighs once again but her eyes trail down his body, slowly. Then she looks away from him as if internally scolding herself. Soon she is back to looking over her patch job to his forehead.

“You really scared me.”

“I'm sorry.”

“You should be.” There is a trembling in her soft voice. This afternoon must have been very taxing on her emotionally. Chris hopes she’ll be okay. She keeps shivering as if controlling her body is a struggle. He puts one hand on her face and the other one on her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

However a moment later her hands rest on his wide shoulders then run down his broad chest before sliding back to his shoulders. She shifts them down to settle on his biceps. She moves much closer to him until their bodies are flush. He sees her face glow pink. Her gaze is locked with his as she whispers, “Thank you, Chris. That was- Just thanks.”

“I wasn't letting that asshole get anywhere near you _or_ your mom.”

“I know,” she says still quiet as she presses her body to his and leans up to lay a firm but soft kiss under his jaw. It's the highest point she can reach. She stays close, tucked under his chin against his neck. He can feel her breath, hot and wet against his skin as she peppers some more gentle kisses there. She’s tiny and delicate. She needs him to watch out for her sometimes and that… does things to him.

When she pulls away to look at him, Chris can see something in her eyes. She’s still shaken up but perhaps as another distraction from her fear she is giving him a telling look. One she gave him right before they had- But she can't possibly be- Does she want to- Adrenaline pounds through his body. She's looking at him like he’s the sexiest man alive. He kisses her, his hands falling to hold her hips.

It starts innocent enough. It hurts his face to kiss her but he doesn't care. Soon her hands wrap around his neck and his hook around her lower back. It's not long before passion seeps into it and their gentle kissing turns wet and sloppy with desire. He pulls her tightly up against him as her hands bury into his hair. His own hands drift lower and land on her perfect round butt to pull her even more firmly against him, pressing their hot pelvises together. She hums in approval. This hurts his face much worse than before. Chris barely notices though as he is too busy debating if he really has the courage to have sex with Ashley in the Giddings’ bathroom.

“Oh for Christ’s sake.”

They jump back from each other at the sound of a voice. Miss. Brown is standing in the doorway of the bathroom. She doesn't look upset so much as shocked and maybe a bit annoyed at them. It's almost as if she walked in on them doing something different, a little more innocent and silly. But Chris can believe that she thinks the two of them clawing at one another like wild beasts is ridiculous after what just happened.

“Hey, mom,” Ashley says, out of breath from their intense make out session. Chris can't meet the woman's eye. He’s mortified she caught him squeezing her daughter's ass. He’s horny now and hopes it isn't obvious.

“What's up?” Ashley continues as he tries to hide behind her. it’s impossible given the difference in their size but he still tries.

“I was hoping to speak with Chris,” she says with a pointed look his way, “I didn't expect him to be busy.”

He doesn't like the way she says his name. He doesn't like the way she is looking at him either. Miss Brown isn't scary most of the time but every once and a while a dangerous mama bear comes out of her and it always has something to do with Ashley. A few too many times it also has something to do with him. It's where he gets the impression that she doesn't like him much, if at all.

“Oh, I mean talking might be hard for him,” Ashley says looking away shyly, “His face hurts a lot.”

“He’s well enough to shove his tongue down your throat. I doubt talking for a bit will tire him out.” She turns her look on Ashley. It softens. There is still warning in it but it's gentle. Ashley gives her a pleading look. She responds with a look of her own that Chris can't read. Ashley responds to it with another look he doesn’t understand. The two seem to have a full conversation without saying a single word out loud. Finally Ashley sighs and turns to him with a cautious look.

“Is this alright with you?”

“Sure,” he answers. He doesn't feel nearly brave enough to refuse Miss Brown. He’s tapped out after going head to head with her father.

“Okay then,” Ashley gives her mom another begging look as she walks passed then as soon as she is through it her mother closes the door. She looks serious as she stares him down. It's not a mean or angry look but it's hard, focused. He sits on the toilet feeling like a little boy whose in trouble. She leans against the sink as she looks him over.

“First of all,” she starts one finger pointing up, “Thank you. That was very brave of you to stand up for Ashley. It means a lot to me, and clearly it means a lot to her, that her safely is important to you. So thank you.”

“You're welcome.” He relaxes just a little, “I care about Ashley. A lot.”

“Okay that's out of the way,” she continues as her voice turns stern, “Now. What in the bloody hell were you thinking?! That might have been the stupidest thing I have ever seen any of you kids do!”

He sits up straight at her harsh disapproving mother tone. She is glaring at him as she shakes her head. “If I was your mother you wouldn't be allowed out of the house for a month at least! You could have gotten hurt much worse. And you made him angry. Do you think he’s just going to let this go!?”

“I don't-” He’s searching for something to say, “I don't know.”

“You may have just put her and me in more danger! Do you understand that? And if she gets hurt because of this so help me you will regret the day you even met my daughter!”

“Nothing could ever make me regret meeting Ashley.” He says it without thinking. It might be the worst thing he could have said. Miss Brown doesn't look the least bit reassured by how smitten he is with Ashley. Rather she looks frustrated. He wonders if she’d rather he didn't have feelings for her at all. He sinks down against the back of the toilet. Ashley and her mom are close and so he can't help but feel her disapproval will bleed into Ashley. Then where would that leave him? Certainly not with her anymore.

She sighs and sounds like her daughter for a moment. They’re practicality identical, Miss Brown and Ashley. Her father hadn’t looked a thing like her. Good! He didn't deserve to share any traits with someone as beautiful as Ashley.

“I haven't had to talk to the police about my ex-husband in almost five years.” She says that more to herself. “Now he drags himself back into our lives and all you do is add fuel to the fire. You men! You can't control your temper at all can you?”

He says nothing, embarrassed. Softly he mutters, “Sorry.”

“You're a good lad,” she responds softly, “You’re smart and kind. A true gentleman. But I don't know if I can trust you to be around my daughter if this is how you're going to behave.”

He understands what she means and he is more than a little insulted at her implication. He stands and towers over her. He stays as far back as he can though. He doesn't want to scare her or anything like that. Hearing the desperation in his voice he says, “I’d die before I’d even think about hurting Ashley! I would never touch her like that! I love her!”

He feels shame well up inside of him. Did he really just tell Ashley's mother he loves her before telling her? He cannot believe he's so fucking stupid! Apparently he’s determined to piss off both of her parents and make her life miserable. Way to go, Chris.

However Miss Brown’s face relaxes. She shakes her head again. “You don't love her, Chris. You’ve been together barely over a week.”

“So?” He pushes, “I loved her before that. I’ve loved her for years. I’ve wanted this for almost as long as I’ve know her. Trust me, this, us, it's love!”

“I don't trust you,” she snaps, “Not if that's how you're going to act. I worked hard to take her away from that! To make her feel safe again. You may have ruined all that in one afternoon! Who knows? We may have to pack up and leave after this.”

“No,” he assures her, “She’ll be safe. I’ll make sure of it. I’ll take her to school every single day and call her every hour we’re apart. Hell I’ll sleep in my truck outside your house. I’ll do anything I can to make her feel safe!”

He can hear he’s on the verge of tears, “Please, don't take her away from me.”

The older woman looks away from him for a long time as if she's thinking it over. She looks at her reflection in the mirror. She shakes her head again. He turns to look at her reflection too. She meets his eyes in the mirror a moment after. Then she turns to meet his eyes in person.

“You know, he said he loved me. Maybe he thought he did.”

“Not the way I love her.”

“No, probably not,” she concedes.

In a bold move Miss Brown reaches to grab his bicep. “I want to believe you’ll be good to her.”

“I will. I’ll always be there for her. I promise.”

“I suppose you were looking out for her out there… In a way.”

“I’d do it again too,” he says knowing it's true even if she doesn't believe him. “I’d take a bullet for Ashley. I’ll chop off my own hands if it will make you believe that I’d never hurt her.”

She kind of laughs, “Now don't go too far to convince me. I'm sure Ashley would prefer you alive and with your hands intact.”

There is a slight glare in her eyes. He wonders if she is referring to him feeling Ashley up before this conversation. Ashley has made it pretty clear to him more than once how much she appreciates his hands. His face goes hot even though he’s still unsure if that's what her mother means.

“I'm not taking Ashley away,” she finally says, “She's happy here. Happier than I have ever seen her. Her new friends are a big part of that, most especially you.”

She almost groans when she says, “And I’m sure she thinks she loves you too.”

‘She does!’ He wants to exclaim but it doesn't feel right to do so. It would probably just set this back about ten steps. She sounds like she’s coming around on him and on them. He can not risk ruining that.

“You really are a good young lad,” Miss Brown smiles, “And you've got a pretty mean left hook.”

“Thank you.” He mostly means for calling him a good guy but he does also crack his knuckles with some pride.

“I can-” She pauses almost like she doesn't want to say what she is about to, “I can see why Ashley likes you so much. What you did- I appreciate it. I appreciate you being there for her. And I’d be lying if I said I didn't get a kick out of seeing that motherfucker get his face beaten in. It was… satisfying. I wish I’d had been able to get my phone out in time to record it. Especially when he ran away like a coward from a teenager.” She laughs a tiny bit at that and he laughs along with her.

“But,” she continues before he can respond, “You need to get this under control! If you want to continue to see her then you need to curb these violent tendencies. And just so you’re aware, I don't care about what Ashley thinks of your “big, strong hero” shtick now. I’ve been around the block enough to know what I saw.”

Too embarrassed to answer, Chris just nods.

The older woman shakes her head then she reaches back to open the door but she stays where she is. She tilts her head, motioning at the door. “Go on. I'm sure she's dying to see you too.”

Chris smiles widely and it kind of hurts but he's used to it by now. She isn't grinning big like he is but she’s smiling. Enough that he thinks maybe she doesn’t dislike him all that much. Or at least not anymore. Her eyes are soft and he can tell she’d meant what she had said. Maybe someday she’ll actually like him and not just tolerate his place in Ashley's life.

He steps around her and out the door. He doesn’t check if she follows him as he speed-walks through the house looking for Ashley. He doesn’t check outside because Mrs. Giddings had cut the party short. He feels bad about that too. He looks around the house, trying not to get caught up in a conversation with anyone. Josh had pat him on the back and praised him after Sam led him back into the house. Beth had stared him down in annoyance and Hannah seemed almost as scared as Ashley. The rest of them kept pestering him with questions since no one was brave enough to ask Ashley about it.  
  
Eventually he finds her with Sam in her room. She looks much worse than she had earlier in the bathroom with him. For one she has obviously been crying. She looks so vulnerable curled up on Sam’s bed. Sam’s door is mostly closed so clearly they want privacy but he can’t help rushing in anyway. He hates to see her like this. He has to fix it and he knows that he can. Egotistically he thinks better than Sam can at least.  
  
“Oh, hey Chris,” Sam says upon seeing him enter. Ashley looks up and quickly wipes her face. Neither of them say anything but Sam looks between them and stands anyway, “I’ll just leave you guys alone for a bit.”  
  
She doesn’t seem to care that this is her room, quickly making her exist. To be fair, he doesn’t care any more than she does. He just drops into the bed next to Ashley. She turns her face away from him as if embarrassed she is upset. He moves as close to her as he can manage and slings an arm around her. He pulls her in tight. Eventually she relaxes against him and buries her face in his chest. They don’t talk for a long time. She just cries and he holds her because that is what she needs.

“I can't believe he came here.” He only barely hears her say into his chest, “How did he- He’s not supposed to be here!”

She seems panicked and stressed so he rubs her back and scratches her head as she shakes in his arms, “Shh, it's okay, Ash. He’s gone now. He can't hurt you anymore.”

“He’ll come back,” she says with her voice trembling and weak. “He’ll find me again.”

“And if he does I'll just have to take care of him again, huh? I did a pretty good job today, right?”

She smiles up at him if only slightly, “A pretty good job getting beat up you mean.”

“Oh come on,” he says unable to keep a smug tone out of his voice. “I totally won that fight and you know it.”

She runs her hand along his chest again and hooks one of her legs around his leg. Maybe it's inappropriate but he has to admit he loves how attracted to him she seems to be now. “I suppose you did.”

She giggles just slightly, “Look at me with my very own knight in shining armor. I need to find a token of my affection for you to bring into battle.”

"Okay just know that I won't say no to getting nudes but you're way too hot for me to concentrate on anything except touching your sexy, little body if you do." He almost whispers it, his voice deep. She buries herself deeper into him with a blush.

Chris presses a kiss to her forehead after that then one on her nose and then right by her eye. He doesn't want to risk kissing her lips. She might not like that. He doesn't want to push her. This isn't like before.  
  
Once he's kissed pretty much every part of her soft face she whispers, “I’m really scared, Chris.”  
  
He squeezes her to him. “It's okay to be scared.”  
  
She leans up and kisses him a few times as if she’s afraid he’ll disappear, “Thank you again. For keeping me safe.”  
  
“As long as I’m around you’ll always be safe, Ashley.”  
  
“I know.” She snuggles into him, hugging around his waist as best she can. They cuddle together as close and wrapped up in each other as they can get. Her breathing starts to even out after a few minutes and he wonders if she’s fallen asleep. He shifts down so she’s laying on him and she doesn’t stir so she is definitely sleeping. He doesn’t wake her. Ashley deserves to rest after the emotional rollercoaster she went through today. He hopes Sam won’t be upset with them for taking her bed.  
  
Ashley feels safe with him. Safe enough to fall asleep and she trusts him to protect her. That might be hard with a guy like her father around, trying to bully his way into her life. That might be hard with her mother watching him like a hawk as he tries to earn her trust. That might be hard with their nosy friends putting pressure on them and his mother who will not want him anywhere near her after something like this. This is going to be very hard for him indeed.  
  
But looking down at her adorable sleeping form, Chris knows that Ashley is well worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> That was a little bit of a ride, huh?
> 
> Feedback always welcome


End file.
